Drought Disaster Extended To More Counties

(Undate) – More than half of U.S. counties and nearly all of Indiana are now designated as a natural disaster area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.

The USDA added 128 counties across the country to the disaster area spanning 32 states on Wednesday. In all, 1,584 counties are disaster areas, 90 percent of them due to the ongoing drought.

The designation allows hard-hit farmers in those counties to apply for low-interest loans through the FSA.

In Indiana, two counties were added to the original 64 declared as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by extreme drought. They are Jackson and Warren counties.

One county, Scott, was added to the disaster designation because it is an adjoining county.

“Each week, new counties are added through the U.S. Drought Monitor FAST TRACK Secretarial designation process,” said FSA Indiana Executive Director Julia Wickard. “These are extraordinary times for Indiana farmers and many are anxious to see the results of the USDA NASS August 2012 Crop Report next week.”

The only Indiana county in the Eagle 99.3 listening area included in the disaster area is Franklin County.